Starting All Over
by 2008wingedWheel
Summary: After her boyfriend attacks her and breaks her heart, Sarah Zetterberg goes to live with her brother. Will her life change!
1. leaving the old life behind

I could not believe what had just happened. It was too hard to wrap my mind around. My boyfriend of a little over a year had just beaten me and told me that we were finished. Tears stung my eyes and I couldn't move my hand to wipe them away. My heart was too broken to do anything. I knew I had to leave, had to get out of town and start a new life. Where I was going to move was the problem. Then I had a wonderful idea. I could move in with Hank. Hank is my big brother, he plays hockey, NHL hockey, in fact and he plays with Detroit. With tears still in my eyes and some protest from my hurt muscles, I got up from the bed and grabbed my phone. I dialed his number and hoped like anything he wasn't asleep. "Hello?" "Hank, det är jag, Sarah" (Hank, it's me, Sarah.) "Min lilla syster! Du har inte kallas i lik för alltid! Vad är det?" (My little sister! You haven't called in like forever! What's up?) I sucked in my breath and wiped a few tears from my eyes. "Hank, jag behöver du kommer hämta mig. Jag vill få..." (Hank, I need you to come pick me up. I want to get…) I couldn't even finish my sentence before I broke down in tears. "Sarah! Vad hände? Vad som händer?" (Sarah?! What happened? What's going on?") "Cal. H-han slog mig och sa att vi var klara. Han kallade mig otacksam till honom och att jag otrogen mot honom och han sa saker som jag inte kan upprepa". (Cal. H-he beat me and said we were done. He called me ungrateful to him and that I was cheating on him and he said things that I can't repeat.) I let out a sob and tried hard to compose myself. " Att son-av-a-Guns! Hur vågar han skada min lillasyster! Jag kommer att göra honom betala nästa gång jag ser honom. Är du hemma?" (That son-of-a-gun! How dare he hurt my baby sister! I'm going to make him pay the next time I see him. Are you at home?) "Ja, Hank. Jag är i mitt rum just nu". (Yes, Hank. I'm in my room right now.) " Jag kommer att få dig. Jag ska vara där i tio minuter, okej baby?" (I'm coming to get you. I'll be there in ten minutes, okay baby?) I agreed and said goodbye. I packed my suitcase and tried to pick it up but instead a scream of pain came out of me. I looked down to see my wrist swelling up and ugly bruises all around it. Minutes later I heard my front door open. "Sarah?" "I mitt rum, Hank", I called; my voice choked up and tears coming down my cheeks. (In my room, Hank.) I heard footsteps banging hard on the steps and my bedroom door opened. There in front of me stood my brother. I hadn't realized how much I missed him. "Hank", I whispered. He came and hugged me. I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. "Det hände så snabbt, Hank. Jag kunde inte…" (It happened so fast, Hank. I couldn't…) I felt a finger on my lips and raised my eyes. "Vi ska prata om det på morgonen. Låt oss bara få hem och få lite is på dessa blåmärken", he said. (We'll talk about it in the morning. Let's just get you home and get some ice on those bruises.) He reached out to grab my suitcase and I gripped his arm. He turned to look at me, worry in his eyes. "Jag-jag måste gå till sjukhuset, Hank. Min handled... Jag tror att det har brutit", I said, holding up my wrist. (I-I need to go to the hospital, Hank. My wrist… I think it's broken.) He let out a curse and gently took my hand in his. "Alright, baby. Vi ska gå", he said with a sigh. (Alright, baby. We'll go.) I wanted to cry at the look in his eyes but I didn't. I allowed myself to be led to the car and Hank threw my suitcase in the backseat. "Were you asleep when I called", I asked, my hands shaky as I buckled myself in. "I was getting ready to but no, I wasn't asleep", he answered. Tears filled my eyes again and I had to bite back a curse. Hank looked at me and gently rubbed my hand. "You'll be home soon. Let's just get this over with, alright", he asked. I nodded, feeling hurt and very much just wanting to not do anything.

"Hank, jag klarar mig. Jag ska bara ta det lugnt, vila och is dessa blåmärken. Du måste gå till praktiken", I told my brother the next morning. Hank sighed and looked at me with those big-brother eyes I knew so well. "Jag vet att du kommer att bli bra. Jag bara ... vill vara med dig". I smiled and came around behind him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. "Jag vet att du gör, storebror. Men du kommer att se mig efter träningen. Kanske killarna kan komma. Jag har inte sett dem i evighet ... och jag speciellt saknar Kronner", I said. I felt his hands go over mine. "Ja, det är därför du har en crush på honom", he teased. I backed away from him and gave him a hard smack on the arm. "Henrik! Jag har inget sådant. Han är som en bror för mig, och du vet det", I said. He rolled his eyes and looked at me. I, for some reason, had tears in my eyes again. The smile on my brother's face faded and he stood up and pulled me into a hug. "You okay", he asked. "I should be. I'm letting myself get emotional again", I said. He rubbed my back and I felt myself calming down. "Go back to bed. I'll call you when I'm on my way home", he told me. I nodded. "Can we talk when you get home then", I asked. Hank frowned. "I got time before I have to leave. What is it?" I sighed and bit my lip. "He said some things about you and mom and dad. He said that mom and dad taught me how to be a cheater and that they should be put in jail with no food or water. He called you some ugly names and said you shouldn't be able to see me or talk to me because you'd encourage me cheating", I replied, blinking back tears. Hank looked beyond angry…. He looked enraged. I knew that look all too well and I wished I hadn't told him that. "Don't do anything stupid, Hank", I warned. "I won't. I'm just going to go to practice. Are you gonna call mom and dad?" I chewed my lip. "Can we do that together? I don't think I can tell them…" "By yourself", Hank finished for me. I nodded. "Sure, we can do it together. Just get some sleep for now", he told me.


	2. Telling the team

It was about 12:30 when I heard the door open. "Hank? Is that you", I yelled. "Yeah, it's me". He came in and I sat up. "They're coming over at around 1:30ish, so we have an hour. Do you want to do it now?" I nodded, biting my lip. Without word, Hank sat next to me and pulled out his phone, dialing mom's number. He kept his arm around me and I sucked in my breath nervously. "Hank, it's been forever since you called", mom's voice came over the phone. "I know, momma. It's been a while. I have someone else here with me". I smirked and lightly hit his arm. "Is it your sister?" "Yes, mom! It's me, Sarah". "Why haven't you called, young lady? Dad and I have been worried". I chewed my lip and felt my eyes becoming filled again. "You've had every right to be worried, mom. Are we on speaker phone?" "No. Do you want to be?" "Yes. Is Daddy there?" We heard some noises and then dad's voice came over the phone. "You wanted me, Sarah?" "I wanted both of you, which is why mom changed to speaker phone. Something kind of big happened yesterday". "Little big or big big"? "The second one. It's a big one". "What is it?" I then told them the whole story, with Hank filling in for me when I started crying. There was silence when I finished. "So you don't have a boyfriend, you have a broken wrist, you have bruises and you're living with Hank?" "That about covers it". "That STUPID boy! Does he NOT UNDERSTAND how seriously we take these things? You have a brother who's a hockey player; you have a father AND YOU ALSO HAVE A TEAM MADE OF STRONG, SERIOUS PEOPLE WHO WOULD RIP HIS HEAD OFF. If he doesn't know about us and doesn't realize how big a consequences are for DOING THAT, he is in BIG trouble", my dad said. We talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. "You feel better, little sis", Hank asked me. "A little", I replied. It was half an hour later that I was in my white dress Hank had got me and my cowboy boots. My hair hung in curls around my face and I had my favorite pair of diamond earrings in. "You look really pretty, sis", Hank told me. I shook my head. "Not with these bruises I don't". Hank frowned and placed a hand on my cheek. "Sarah, look at me". I forced myself to meet my brother's eyes. "Those bruises don't change a thing. You're still my sweet, beautiful baby sister. And your relationship with the guys? That won't change either. They're not going to think any less of you, Sarah". I nodded and blinked away a few tears. He pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back. "Are you gonna let him change you, Sarah?" I shook my head. "No, but you'll have to help me, Hank. I can't… I can't get through this on my own", I said, my voice cracking. I felt his hands on my face and his forehead rested against mine. "I'll help you. I promise", he said. He hugged me and then wandered back into the kitchen. I soon became lost in thought and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "Easy, Sarah. It's me". I relaxed. "Sorry, Kronner", I said, hugging my best friend/"brother". He hugged me back and I felt safe. "What happ…" I cut him off with a finger to his lips. "I'll tell you once everyone's here", I promised, making him nod. Next I spotted Val and a big smile appeared on my face. "Val", I yelled, running into my friend's awaiting arms. He picked me up and spun me in a circle. "It's been forever, Sarah", he said. I grinned. "I know, Val. It's been way too long". He frowned when he saw my face. "Where did you get those bru-"Who else is coming", I interrupted him. "Pav and Helmer I think", he replied. Sure enough, they arrived five minutes later. I glanced nervously at Hank, my hands starting to sweat. "What HAPPENED to you", Pavel asked, his eyes wide. I sucked in my breath and told them the whole story. I nearly fell over because I was crying so hard, but Nik caught me. He pulled me into a hug. "That idiot. He's such a jerk! Why would he want to do something like that to you? You're such a sweet girl", he told me. I blushed and shook my head. "You're just saying that", I said, my voice low. He placed a hand under my chin and gently tilted my head up. "No, I'm not. I'm not "just saying that". Sarah, I've known you for a long time and know how sweet you can be. I think any girl your age would want your innocence and sweetness. Do you have any idea how much you've meant to me all these years?" I shook my head, feeling my eyes sting with tears. He brushed the hair from my face and then pressed a kiss to my forehead. I buried my face in his shirt as a blush appeared over my cheeks and his arms went around me. "You're sweet, Kronner", I murmured into his chest. "So are you, baby girl", he whispered back, causing a small smile to flicker across my face. "Baby girl" was the nickname he'd made for me oh-so long ago when we first met. I can't remember how that started, but the name stuck and to this day is what he called me.


	3. Brothersister fight

"So, Hank, what do you plan on doing today", Val asked when the guys were visiting Hank and I's house a few weeks later. I looked up from the video I was watching with Nik to hear Hank's answer. "Well, I was thinking of paying that guy a visit. You know, the one who hurt Sarah? I want to hurt him as much as he hurt Sarah." Val and Helmer exchanged smirks but I frowned at my brother. "Hank, NO! Don't go", I told him. The smirk on his face faded as he turned to look at me. "No?! Why?! Come on, Sarah, he deserves it. Look what he did to you." I scowled and shook my head at him, tears filling my eyes. "I know exactly what he did to me, Hank. I was the one who woke up crying in the middle of the night from nightmares of that. I was the one who winced everytime I moved. But this isn't about me, this is about you. Do you even remember the last time you went to try and get revenge for me? YOU WERE IN THE HOSPITAL WITH A CONCUSSION FOR TWO WEEKS! Think about it, Hank. Do you want to go through that again", I snapped at him. "I don't care what happens to me. That guy put you through hell. Do you think he should get away with that?!" I stood up, crossed my arms, and glared at him. "No, he shouldn't get away with that. But I'm not about to send my brother back into the hospital because some idiot decided to hurt me. During those two weeks when you had the concussion, you were pretty damn weak. YOU COULD BARELY MOVE, HANK! I BARELY ATE OR SLEPT DURING THOSE TWO WEEKS BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU! I'm not about to go through that again", I yelled. I was actually crying by this time but I was determined to hold my ground. Hank glared up at me, shaking his head. "You don't care about your own safety, do you? You don't care that he could be out there looking for you." I stomped my foot and glared at him, my eyes blinded by angry tears. "OF COURSE I CARE ABOUT MY OWN SAFETY, HENRIK! I HATE GETTING HURT AS MUCH AS THE NEXT PERSON BUT I DON'T NEED TO BE THE CAUSE OF MY BROTHER LYING ON THE HOSPITAL BED! How do you know he's looking for me, anyway?! He told me we were done. He's probably got a new girl now, Hank. He doesn't matter anymore." "Are you still in love with him, Sarah?! It sure sounds like you are." "IN LOVE WITH HIM?! HANK, ARE YOU THAT MUCH OF AN IDIOT?! NO, I'M NOT STILL IN LOVE WITH HIM! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?! HOW COULD YOU EVEN SAY THAT?!" Without another word, I turned on my heel and stomped out of the room, not bothering to look at the stunned faces behind me.

"How can Hank say that? How could he say a thing like that? He knows that I'm not in love with him", I whispered to myself. The hand on my shoulder made me jump but when I saw that it was Nik I relaxed. He settled himself next to me and without word held out his arms. I crawled into them and rested my head against his chest. "You know, Sarah, we're all surprised at what Hank said", he told me. I looked up and met his dark blue eyes. "You are? Then why didn't you say anything", I asked. He shrugged. "We didn't want to get involved in your argument. But after you left, we let him have it. That was very ignorant of him to say that. He should know by now that you're not in love with him anymore." "He does know that. I've told him half a dozen times that I'm not in love with him. He was just choosing to hurt my feelings", I replied. I rested my head back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me tight. It was quiet for a few minutes, then I glanced back up at Nik. "You know, Kronner, I'm glad I have you as a friend." He glanced down at me, smiling. "Why is that?" "Well, there's a few reasons. For one thing, you're easy to talk to. I mean, not that the other guys aren't-they are-but with you the words just come so easy. Then there's the fact that you don't try and force things out of me. The other guys, they'll ask me a million questions to get me to tell them. You don't do that. You either just let me alone or you'll just hug me until I calm down enough to tell you." He laughed and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I like having you as a friend too, Sarah. You're one of the best girls I've ever known." I smiled and pushed myself off his chest. "Awww, Kronner! You're such a sweetheart", I told him, leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. He blushed. "I… thank you", he said. I laughed and stood up. "Come on, Kronner. Let's go for a skate." He grinned and stood up next to me. "Where at?" "Joe Louis, of course. I haven't had a skate with you in a long time." I ran into the house to get my skates and joined Nik at his car a few minutes later. "Does Hank know where you're going?" "No, but I have my cell phone if he needs to call me. Besides, when he sees you gone, he'll know I'm with you." Nik grinned. "Let's go then."


	4. Brand New Day

As I laced up my skates next to Nik on the bench, I felt that familiar feeling of being at home wash over me. Besides the house, of course, the arena was the one place that I felt at home. The sound of the skates on ice and the chill of the arena made me feel comfortable. This feeling, I was sure, was something only other hockey players felt. To them, the ice-especially their home ice-was "home." A nudge in my side broke me from my thoughts. "Whatcha thinking about there, Sarah", Nik asked. "Just how being out here makes me feel at home", I replied, making him smile. "I know what you mean. Being on the ice, especially here, makes me feel at home." He stood up and reached for my hand. I took it and together we went over the boards, taking our sticks with us. Nik pulled the puck from his pocket and dropped it onto the ice. Without saying a word, I stole it from him. "Hey! That was mine", he whined. I stuck my tongue out at him. "Too bad", I said before I sprinted back down the ice. I could hear him behind me and dug my skates harder into the ice. "You can't run from me forever!" "Are you sure about that", I yelled back. "Yes, I'm sure." For a little over an hour we chased each other back and forth across the ice, laughing and yelling at each other before I was tripped. Nik flipped me over onto my back and placed his hands on my arms. "Hi, Sarah", he said, smiling. I felt a tingle run up my spine. –Twelve years. Twelve years of knowing him and it's only now that I realize I'm in love with him. Wow- I thought. "H-hi, Kronner." The boyish grin appeared on his lips and his blue eyes lit up. "Are you tired?" "Tired? From what?" He lowered his head closer to mine and I shivered a little. "From chasing me around today. Did that tire you out?" "N-no. I'm not tired." He lowered his head even closer until his face was inches from mine. "You must be a pretty strong girl, not being tired out from that." My heart was racing now: he was so close, oh so close to me. "So what if I am, K-Kronner? We girls can be strong." He smiled; I could feel his warm breath on my skin. "I know you can. You're one of them!" "Yes, I am. You've known that for…" I was cut off by his lips on mine. I felt the sparks fly between us and my heart completely melted. I was shaking: not from fear but from happiness and love. I knew now what I had suspected for a long time: Nik was in love with me. He pulled away and lifted his hand to place it on my cheek. "Sarah. Hi, baby." I felt a tremor go through my heart: he had that effect on me now. "Hi, Kronner." "Sarah, I have something I want to ask you." I met his eyes; his beautiful blue eyes which were full of love. "Y-yes, Kronner?" "Will you be my girlfriend?" The question sucked the breath out of me. Was he serious?! "Oh, Kronner, ar-are you serious about wanting me as your girlfriend", I asked. He smiled again and lowered his head so that his face was inches from mine. "I've never been more serious in all my life." Those words sent another tremor through my heart and made my stomach flip. If he was serious, then so was I. "Kronner! Kronner, yes, I'd love to be your girlfriend", I told him, tears coming to my eyes. Another boyish grin (I was loving that grin) appeared on his face and he lowered his head to kiss me. "Then it's official, Sarah. I've been waiting twelve long years for this." My eyes widened. "Twelve years?! You've been waiting all this time for me?! Why didn't you tell me this years ago?" "I wanted to make sure you felt the same way. Sure, I loved you, but I didn't want a one-sided relationship." My heart melted. He was such, such a total sweetheart. "I do feel the same way, Kronner. I love you." He stood up and held out his hands. I took them and he pulled me to my feet. "Ready to head home, baby?" I nodded. "Well, come on then. Let's go home."

"You and Kronner?! Oh, Sarah, that's awesome", Hank's girlfriend, Emma, squealed a few hours later. We were sitting in the family room having a few beers and eating popcorn when Nik and I decided to say something. She was so excited for us, I could tell. Hank looked more amused than anything. "Finally! After twelve long years you two have gotten together." I tossed a handful of popcorn at my brother. "Shut it, Hank", I told him as Nik's arm snaked around my waist. He chuckled. "It's true though! I had known Nik was in love with you for a long time." I leaned back against Nik's chest and gently rubbed my hand over the giant bruise he had on his leg-which he'd gotten from bumping into a table earlier that day. He gave me a squeeze around my middle and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "Hi, beautiful", he whispered, causing me to blush. "Hello to you too, handsome", I whispered back. Hank laughed and I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?!" "Nothing! This just reminds me of how Emma and I used to act." Emma rolled his eyes and smacked him on the leg while I snorted. "Um, don't you mean how you still act, Hank? I've seen you and Emma act all cutesy on the couch." He gave me a long look before shaking his head and turning his attention to Nik. "Now, Kronner, I want you to know that if you break her heart, I'm going to kill you." Nik nodded. "Don't worry, Zetta. I've been waiting for this for twelve years; I'm not going to mess it up. But I give you full permission to hurt me if I do her any harm." I smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek with the back of my hand. "You're a sweetheart, Nicky! I'm not sure how you could hurt anyone", I said. He blushed but leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Try convincing your brother of that", he said. "I'll work on doing that, you just work on trying not to make him mad." He grinned. "You've got yourself a deal, baby."


	5. Blackhawks Vs Red wings

I couldn't help but smile as I took my seat behind the bench next to Emma. I was smiling because it was original six rivalry day-Red Wings vs. Blackhawks. These were the matches I look forward to the most for that exact reason-the rivalry. No matter how many times I watched us play them, I still got excited. "I think my boy is going to have a great game tonight", I whispered to Emma. She laughed. "I hope so. He needs one. I think Hank's going to have one, too." I smiled and took a sip of my beer. "He has a great game every night. It's Nicky's turn." As much as I loved Nicky's hits-and I did love them-I loved it even more when he scored. It didn't happen often, but when it did, boy, were the fans (and I) excited. Nicky and I had been dating for a little over a month now and I'd have to say, this was the best relationship I'd ever had (so far, at least). Knowing him for twelve years, I knew what type of person he was, but dating him brought out those traits even more. A nudge in my side broke me from my thoughts. "Sarah, there's Nicky", she whispered. I looked up and smiled when I saw my boyfriend. I gave the glass two hard, loud taps and (as usual) he responded. He skated up to the bench and gently tapped his stick on the glass. "Hi, beautiful", he said. I smiled and, standing up, rested my arms on the glass. "Hey, baby. Have a good game for me tonight", I told him. He grinned. "I'll do my best, okay?!" I smiled. "Yes, that's all I ask. You just do your best. I love you." "I love you too, Sarah." He winked at me before going back out to the ice. I glanced back at Emma, who was smiling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy, it just reminds me of what Hank and I used to do." I shook my head and took my seat next to her. "It's okay, Emma. I understand." She chuckled. "Well, ready to watch our boys kick some Blackhawk butt?" I nodded. "Let's do it!"  
A gasp escaped from my lips and Emma's face turned pale as Hank was hit hard into the boards by Patrick Kane. He fell onto his knees and lowered his head as if he was dizzy. "HANK! COME ON, BABY, GET UP", Emma yelled, standing up and resting her arms on the glass. I stood up next to her, my eyes never leaving my brother. "Please, Hank, please be okay", I whispered. When the trainer came out to check on him, my heart sank. "Come on, Hank buddy. Please be okay." I noticed Emma no longer had her eyes on Hank. She was watching Abby (Justin Abdelkader). He had grabbed Kane from behind and was pulling him down to the ice. But Kane wrenched himself from Abby's hold and was grabbing his jersey. "Abby's gonna be in a fight", Emma said, taking a hold of my hand. Words were exchanged and then Abby threw his gloves off. Kane followed and soon the two were circling each other. Finally, Kane grabbed Abby's jersey and threw a punch, but Abby ducked and threw one of his own. It connected with Kane's jaw. "YEAH! GET HIM, ABBY", we yelled. A few more punches were exchanged and the referees pulled them apart. The crowd was on their feet and chanting "AB-BY, AB-BY." "That will teach you not to mess with my brother, you jerk", I yelled. "Yeah, no messing with our boys!" As we sat down, we noticed Hank sitting on the bench. "Em, he's okay! He's going to play", I whispered. "Thank goodness for that."  
Emma and I exchanged excited glances as Hank, Nik, Val, Abby and Johnny set up their play. "Come on you guys! Now would be a good time to get one", I yelled. There was twenty seconds left in the second period and it was tied one-one. Hank took the faceoff and won it. Abby parked himself right in front of the goalie, blocking his view. Hank passed it to Val, who faked the shot and passed it between his legs to Nik. "Come on, baby", I whispered. He faked a shot and passed it back to Hank, wristed it in for a goal. Emma and I screamed and shot to our feet, waving our towels. "THAT'S MY BABY" Emma yelled. "WAY TO GO, HANK!" We now had the lead, two-one. I was loving this game. As the guys skated back to the bench, Hank looked up at us and threw Emma a wink. I laughed as seconds later; Nik did the same thing to me. "Our boys are awesome", I told Emma as we sat down. "Yeah, well, look what team they play for." I grinned and slapped the symbol on my jersey. "Red Wings for life", I said. Emma grinned and reached up to slap me a high-five. "Red Wings for life", she repeated.  
I bit my lip and reached for Emma's hand nervously. We were down by a goal with a minute left in the third period. We had to win this game-we needed the points. Nik, Val, Hank, Abby, Johnny, and Patty (Patrick Eaves) were out there for us. "Who do you think is going to score", Emma asked. "Val or Nicky. I mean, it doesn't matter, but I'm going to say one of those two." Hank took the faceoff, won it, and passed it back to Nik. He faked the shot and passed it to Hank. Val edged closer to the left side of the net and Abby and Patty stood in front of the goalie. Hank faked the shot and made a back pass to Val, who one-timed it into the open net. Emma and I screamed and jumped to our feet, high-fiving each other. "GREAT PASS, HANK", Emma yelled. I waved my towel and yelled "THAT'S MY FINN!" These were the boys I knew: this was my team. "Who's going to score in the O.T", Emma asked. I grinned. "Nicky will. He needs to get a goal." Emma smirked and nudged my side. "Oh, I hope so", she whispered.  
As much love as I had for the game, I hated overtime. Not because we never won-we did win-it just one wrong move and the game was over. If someone scored, you weren't getting another chance. But I was willing to bear it because I loved my team and the game. "I can feel a win in my bones", Emma said to me. "So can I. Let's just hope Nicky can do it." I could see Nik skating around out there, talking to himself. I knew that this was one of the ways that he calmed himself down: by talking to himself. "You can do this, baby. You've got this", I whispered. "Ready to win", Emma asked. "Always." It was Hank, Abby, Nik and Johnny out there for us. I noticed Kane was staring at Hank and I scowled. "He'd better stay away from Hank", I muttered. Emma frowned. "Yeah, he'd better. Otherwise Abby's gonna kick his butt again." Hank settled into the faceoff circle and won it cleanly. The puck made it's way to Abby, who escaped Kane and passed it back to Nik, who shot it. "YES! GREAT SHOT KRONNER", Emma yelled as we got to our feet. "HELL YES! THAT'S MY BABY", I yelled as the team swarmed around him. We had gotten the two points we needed-and my boy had gotten the game-winner. I was happy as if there was nothing in the world that could bring me down. Emma and I turned to leave and we'd gotten to the top of the steps when I felt a hand on my arm. Turning, my eyes narrowed and I scowled to see Cal standing behind me. "Hello, Sarah." "Calvin. What do you want?" He smiled and tightened his grip on my arm. "You back, of course." I snorted and tore myself from his grip as Emma grabbed my hand. "No. I'm not going back with you and there's a couple reasons why: one) I have a boyfriend and two) why should I get back with someone who hit me. Besides, you probably already have a girl. So, bye." With that, I turned around and walked off with Emma, leaving a very stunned Calvin behind me. We walked down the hallway and were not surprised to see Hank and Nik outside the locker room door. "NIICCCKKYYY", I squealed, running towards him and throwing myself into his arms. He caught me and I buried my face in his shoulder. "Hi, beautiful." I smiled and raised my head to look at him. "That was a great goal; it was the perfect shot", I said. He smiled and lowered his head to kiss me. "Yes, the path to the net was clear." I smiled and reached up to brush the hair from his face. "I love you." He smiled and kissed me again. "I love you too, baby."


	6. Champions of the world

"Right here, right now. The cup is ours", I whispered to Emma. It was June 4th and we were playing the Philadelphia Flyers in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. There was three minutes left in the game and we were leading three-two. Emma smiled. "I hope so. But you know they won't go away without a fight." I shrugged and turned my attention to the ice, where Pavel was getting ready for the face-off. "I don't care. Even if they do win, at least we're not a dirty team like they are." I watched my boys pass the puck around, smiling. I loved this team-not just because I had a brother and a boyfriend playing on it-but because we were family. It might seem weird to hear that, but that was what we were-a family. These guys had love for each other-as brothers, as friends, and as teammates. "Who do you think will get the Conn Smythe, Sarah?" Emma's question broke me from my thoughts. "Hank. Hank will get the Conn Smythe." Emma smiled and raised her hand to slap me the high-five. "Yeah, he will. We both know it." We turned back to the ice, where Abby was in the corner killing time. "Only a minute left", I whispered, my stomach starting to get bouncy. "I know! Come on, boys!" The seconds ticked away. 20…19…18…17…16…15…14…13…12…11…10… (The boys on the bench threw off their gloves and helmets)…9…8…7… (Howie threw his arms above his head)…6…5…4…3…2…1. THE DETROIT RED WINGS ARE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! Emma and I screamed, jumped up and threw our arms around each other. "WE WON! WE WON", I screamed, unable to hold back the tears. Emma didn't say a thing; she just gave me a hard squeeze. Tears poured down my cheeks but I didn't care. My team-MY BOYS-had won the Stanley Cup after a hard fought battle. "OH MY GOSH! LOOK AT OUR BOYS", Emma yelled. Turning, I saw the whole team hugging, jumping, screaming, and crying. But Emma wasn't looking at the team. She was pointing in Hank and Nik's direction. I looked and saw them exchange glances before looking up in our direction. "YEAAHHHHH! THOSE ARE OUR BOYS", Emma and I yelled, pointing at them. Nik placed his hand over his heart before pointing at me. "I LOVE YOU", he yelled. "I LOVE YOU TOO!" He winked at me and Hank gave us the thumbs-up. Emma and I smiled. We couldn't WAIT to get out on the ice and celebrate with our boys.

I couldn't help but smile as Emma and I ran down the hallway towards the ice. This was probably one of-if not the most-exciting day of my life. I don't think I couldn't been happier or more excited if I'd won it myself. These guys had won it for their families, for the city, for the team, but most of all for themselves. To come back from a horrible loss in game seven against Chicago last year-and this year being an eight seed-to win the cup was something special. "I don't think I'm ever going to stop crying", Emma said. I smiled. "Me, neither. I'm so damn proud of my boys. They've earned this." Suddenly, we saw Nik and Hank standing near the beach, smiles fluttering across both of their faces and tears in their eyes. "OUR BOYS", Emma and I yelled. She ran to Hank and threw herself into his arms while I launched myself at Nik. He caught me and buried his face in my neck as I squeezed him tight. "Oh, Nicky! Oh, Nicky, baby, I'm so proud of you", I said. He lifted his head from my neck and looked down at me. The biggest, cutest smile was on his face and I could see his eyes sparkling with tears. "From 8th seed to on top of the world, that's beautiful", he said. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes, baby, it is! Damn, I'm proud of you guys", I said. He laughed and pressed another kiss to my lips. "I'm proud of us, too. We played like a team." "More than that, Nicky. You guys played like a family. In fact, that's exactly what you guys are-a family." He smiled. "How did you get to be so smart?" I smirked and looked over at Hank. "Trying living with Hank for a while", I replied. Hank glanced over at me, his eyebrows raised. "So I do teach you things." I laughed and walked over to him, pulling him into a hug. "Yes, Hank. You do teach me things. I'm so proud of you", I told him. He hugged me tightly as the tears flowed down his cheeks. "My first cup as captain. I never thought this day would come. It was hard enough for me to believe it the first time, but this is twice as hard." I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "You always had the potential to be a leader and now look at you. A captain of a Stanley Cup Champion team. I'm so damn proud of you, my big brother", I said, pulling him into another hug. He squeezed me tightly and we stayed that way for a minute before he pulled away. "I love you", he whispered. "Love you too, big bro." Emma gave me a smile before she and Hank walked out onto the ice. I glanced over at Nik to see him leaning against the wall with a sad look on his face. I frowned and walked over to him, laying my hand on his arm. "Nicky? Babe, what's wrong", I asked. He bit down on his lip and his hands started shaking. "I'm so excited for this. I just… I just wish my dad was here to see it", he answered, swallowing hard as a single tear rolled down his cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. His dad had died when he was 11 years old from cancer. It was, as he described it, "one of the roughest times of my life." He had told me that they'd been close-his dad was the one that taught him how to play hockey. "I know, baby. I know. But I bet he's watching this up in heaven. He's probably mighty proud of you", I told him. His only response was to squeeze me tight and bury his face in my shoulder. I glanced over the top of his head and saw, to his right, his mom standing there. I gently nudged him with my knee. "Nicky, baby, your mom is here." His head shot off my shoulder and he turned in surprise. "MOM?! When did you get here?" Mrs. Kronwall smiled. "I was staying at a hotel nearby. Sarah knew but I made her promise not to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise." She walked up, hugged him, and then pulled away to kiss his cheek. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie! You guys worked so hard to get here. And look at you: a second time champ. I bet Sarah's mighty proud of you." I smiled and locked my arm with Nik's. "Oh, I am. He is such a hard worker; one of the hardest ones on the team. Only my brother works harder than him." Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning my head, I saw that it was Hank. "They're about to announce the Conn Smythe trophy winner if you're interested." Mrs. Kronwall nodded. "Of course, we're going to come and watch." Hank smiled when he saw her. "Hello, Mrs. Kronwall. Glad you could make it." "Thank you, Henrik. Yes, I came to surprise Niklas. I made Sarah not tell him." We started walking towards the ice and Hank smirked at Nik. "He needs to be surprised every once in a while. He thinks he knows everything, the big dork." "HANK! Be nice to him", I scolded, smacking his arm. Nik shook his head. "It's okay, Sarah. I'll get back at him. Maybe I'll take you away with me for the whole summer." He glanced over at his mom, who was trying to hide the smile. "What do you think, mom? Think Sarah could stay with us for the whole summer?" Mrs. Kronwall laughed. "Of course she can! I've got room." I couldn't help myself: I burst out laughing at Hank's facial expression. It looked so serious-it was ridiculous. "Kronner, you know I trust you and I know you'd take care of her, but Sarah and I are visiting our parents sometime during the summer. They just miss us so much and want to see us. She could visit you-maybe stay there for a little while, but she can't be there the whole summer." "Don't worry about it, Henrik. We'll figure something out, I promise." "LET'S GO SEE THE BOYS", I yelled. I raced ahead while the three of them howled with laughter. I smiled-I loved this team!

I was standing in-between Nik and Mrs. Kronwall, watching with wide, teary eyes as Hank skated towards the carpet. His first time lifting the cup as captain-I couldn't be any more proud of him. Ever since he'd become captain two years before, I'd been waiting for this moment. Now it was here. I watched with shaking hands as Hank took the cup from Bettmen and raised it over his head. "YEAHHHHHHH! YES, HANK, YES", I screamed, throwing my hands up in the air as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Who was Hank going to give the cup too? That was what I was most interested in. Nik was my choice-and there were a few reasons for that: one) he had taken over Hank's spot as captain of the Swedish Olympic team when Hank was having back problems, two) he had brought him back a silver medal, and three) he was dating me. And, to my delight, Nik was the person that Hank handed off the cup too. "You deserve this, Kronner", I could hear Hank say as he handed the cup off to my boyfriend. I wiped at my eyes and yelled "That's my baby" as Nik skated off. I flung my arms around Hank's neck and buried my face in his shoulder. "When you lifted that cup, I thought my heart was going to burst", I told him. He laughed. "From pride?" "Yes, from pride. You have back surgery in February, go through painful rehab, and now you're the captain of a championship team! Yes, Hank, I am proud of you." Emma came up to us and wrapped her arms around Hank's waist. "I'm proud of him, too. He's a hard worker." I smiled. "He sure is. The whole damn team works hard, but he's the hardest worker of them all." I looked over my shoulder to see Nik handing the cup off to Goose (Gustav Nyquist). This was Goose's first cup and I smiled as I watched him skate around with it. I had grown close with Goose over the time I'd known him-he was like my little brother. He was young, fast, and full of potential. I felt arms wrap around me and turned to see Nik's blue eyes staring into mine. "Hi, handsome", I said, resting a hand against his cheek. He blushed but smiled and pressed a light kiss to my own cheek. "Hi, beautiful." "Where's your mom?" "Talking with Mule. She's fine." He buried his face in my neck and I laughed. I couldn't help it-he was being so cute! "Are you laughing at me?" "Just at your antics. Besides, why would I laugh at you? You're adorable", I answered, causing a blush to appear over his cheeks. "Thank you." I smiled and glanced right up into his eyes. "You know I'd do anything for you, baby." He grinned. "Cause you love me." I smiled and shook my head at him-he knew me too well. "Yes, Nicky, cause I love you." I reached up to fix his hat and he smiled. "I love you too, babe", he whispered.


	7. Home Sweet Home

I couldn't help but bounce in my seat as Hank and I's plane landed. We were visiting our parents-it's seemed like forever since we've seen them. "Ooo, I can't wait to see their faces when you lift the Cup. They're gonna be so proud of you, Hank", I said. He smirked and reached over the seat to cover my hand with his. "I agree, Sarah. They're going to be stunned." It seemed like minutes later that Hank and I were walking through the airport. I was on the phone with mom. "Baggage Claim 4, mom. I'm sure you'll see us. Which car are you driving?" I hung up seconds later and glanced up at Hank, smiling. "You ready to see our parents, Hank?" He smiled. "Always." We walked outside and stood near the road, watching for my mom's dark blue truck. She'd had that truck since I was fifteen years old-I was surprised that it still worked. I loved that truck; that was the car I used when I'd drive with my dad. Lots of great memories in that car, that was for sure. "I see her", Hank said, nudging my side. I looked up to see mom running towards us, smiling. She pulled me into a hug first. "Oh, Sarah! Oh, sweetie, it's so good to see you", she said. "It's good to see you too, momma." She pulled away from me and hugged Hank. "Look at you! My little boy, the captain of a championship team. I'm so proud of you." Hank blushed but managed to hug her tightly back and say "Thank you, mom." She pulled away and then gestured us to the car. "Your dad is waiting for you at home. Oh, he's going to be so excited to see you guys", she said as we got in the car. "Momma, there's a lot of memories for me in this car", I said as she pulled away. She laughed and caught my eye in the rearview mirror. "I bet there is, sweetie. Tell me how you've been. Have you moved on from Calvin?" I giggled and Hank smirked at me from the front seat. "Yes, momma, I have. Calvin no longer has any control over me. He's gone; long gone. But I do have some big news for you." "What's that?" "You remember Nik? Nik Kronwall?" "Your best friend for twelve years? Yes, I remember." "Well, momma, he's my boyfriend." At those words, her mouth fell open and she caught my eye in the mirror. "WHAT?! YOU GUYS ARE DATING?! Oh my gosh, how long?" "Since March." Mom shook her head. "That's so awesome, Sarah. I'm happy for you. You're dating someone that you've known for a long time and someone I trust. Is he a good boyfriend?" I laughed. "Momma, he's a GREAT boyfriend. I mean, he was sweet when we were just friends, but he's even sweeter now. I… I can't really describe him."

It was a few minutes later that mom was parking the car in the driveway. It felt so good to see this house again-the one Hank and I both grew up in. The house that built me. Smiling, I got out of the car and grabbed both Hank's suitcase and mine. "Get the Cup, Hank. I want daddy to see it", I whispered. He smiled and grabbed the Cup from the car, raising it above his head. I chuckled and followed him into the house. Dad was sitting at the kitchen table with mom and when we came in, he looked up. "Is that my boy?! Son, I'm so damn proud of you. Captain of the Stanley Cup team." Hank walked over to the table and placed the Cup on it. Daddy was looking at it in awe, making me laugh as I had the same thing. No matter how many times we won it, we'd always be in awe of it. As soon as dad heard me laugh, he looked over at me. "Is that my girl?!" "Yes it is, daddy." He got up, walked over to me, and pulled me into a hug. "How are you doing, Sarah?" I smirked and handed Hank his bag before readjusting mine onto my shoulder. "I'm doing great, dad. I've got some news for you!" He raised an eyebrow. "What it is?!" "You remember Nik Kronwall? My best friend for twelve years? Well, him and I… we're boyfriend/girlfriend." Daddy's eyes widened and his mouth fell open in surprise. "Are you kidding me?! You and Nik are DATING?! When did this happen?" "In March", I explained before telling mom and daddy about the day Nik had asked me to be his girlfriend. When I told them about what Nik had said about waiting all those years and not wanting me to be in an "uncomfortable" relationship with him, mom gasped. "He said that?! Aww, what a sweetheart", she said. I smiled. "He is a sweetheart, momma. That's why I love him. Speaking of him, I've got to text him and let him know we arrived here safely." I took my phone out of my pocket and turned it on. 'Hey, cutie! Just wanted to let you know Hank and I arrived here safely. We're going to be eating soon so I will call you later. I love you'. I sent the text to him and put the phone back in my pocket. "Hank, Sarah? Let me show you where you guys are going to be sleeping." We followed mom down to the basement and there I saw a blow-up bed. My eyes lit up: I loved blow-up beds. I wasn't sure why, but I did. "Sarah's going to be on the blow-up bed and Hank will be on the couch." "YAY! I love blow-up beds." Hank shook his head, but before he could respond my text ring tone went off. I smiled and pulled the phone from my pocket. Sure enough, it was a text from Nik. 'Hi, baby! I guess it was a pretty easy flight in, huh? And yeah, call me later. I don't need my beautiful girl starving to death because she's talking to me. ;) I love you too!' I shook my head, smiling. Nik was just way too cute for his own good. 'Yeah, the flight was fairly easy. The weather was great on the way in. Don't worry, I won't starve, but I'd rather talk to you than eat. ;) BTW, you're too cute for your own good. 3' I slipped my phone back into my pocket and noticed mom smiling. "Was that Nik?" I nodded. "Yeah, it was. He was being too cute for his own good. But hey, I love him." She chuckled and together we made our way up the stairs. "Being cute when you're in love is great. It sounds like that's what he's doing." "He is. He's been doing that since we started dating, heck, we both have. I guess that's what happens when you're-"You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed." Mom raised an eyebrow out me as I got out my phone. "Is that your ring tone? Because if it is, that's an awesome one to have." "It's my text ring tone. Nicky picked it out for me." Of course, the text was from Nik. 'Quit making me blush over the phone! I'm in the kitchen with Staf and he's laughing at me. But I'm glad that I'm more interesting than food. It makes me feel special. ;)' "Is he being cute again", mom asked, seeing my smile. "He always is." 'Tell Staf it's okay to be cute in love and the next time he blushes in front of us when he's texting his girlfriend, I'm going to laugh at him. Yes, you are more interesting than food and yes, you're very special. You're special because you're my baby and I love you. BTW, my mom loves the ringtone you picked out. She says it's awesome. 3' I sent the text and then sat up on one of the "bar" stools lining our "bar." "What are we having, mom", I asked. "Your favorite", she replied, raising an eyebrow. I licked my lips and wiggled my eyebrows at her. "Spaghetti? Let's eat." Mom nodded and brought the pot over to the table. I closed my eyes and let the smell of the spaghetti make its way to my nose. "Mmm, smells good." Hank laughed and tugged at my hand. "Come on, squirt. Let's eat."

I followed my brother to the table and licked my lips again as mom took the lid off the pot. "Feed me", I pleaded, handing her my plate. She shook her head at me as she filled my plate. "You and your spaghetti, Sarah. What am I going to do with you?" I shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you'd had that figured out a long time ago when I moved out", I replied as my phone went off again. I smirked and pulled the phone out of my pocket. 'Staf got so embarrassed when I told him what you said that he stopped teasing me! Thank you, babe 3! And I'm special because I'm dating you and because you love me?! I could say the same thing about you, ya little sweetie! Tell your mom that I have good tastes and that if she needs help picking out a ringtone, I can do it! 333' I blushed as I read the text and I could hear Hank laughing next to me. I kicked him under the table and shook my head. "Quit it, Hank. I don't tease you when you're texting Emma", I scolded before turning to mom. "Nicky says that if you need help picking out a ringtone, he can help you." Mom laughed and twirled her spaghetti on her fork. "Tell him that I'll take him up on that offer sometime." I chuckled and sent a reply back to my boyfriend. 'Quit being all cute when I'm not there, you stinker! Should I embarrass Staf more often? It sounds like a lot of fun. And thank you for the compliment, I needed that. I told my mom what you said about the offer and she said she'll take you up on that sometime. You'd better keep your end of the bargain. Oh, and you'll never guess what we're having for dinner. Spaghetti, my favorite. 3' I set my phone on the table and picked up my fork. "He sure is texting you a lot", dad remarked. "Yes, I know. He misses me too much, I guess. But I don't mind. He gets cute when he sends his texts."

It was a little while later that mom, dad, Hank and I were sitting in the family room. I was reading the text Nik had sent me. 'I can't help it! I miss you so much, Sarah. Yes, you should embarrass Staf more often and yes, it is a lot of fun. And you're welcome for that compliment. You know I'd do anything for you, baby! Of course you're having spaghetti; that's one meal you will never stop eating. I love you, babe!' Was he ever going to stop being cute and sweet? Nope, not anytime soon and that was the way I wanted it. 'I miss you too, you little cutie! I wish you were here with me, talking with my parents and teasing Hank. Speaking of Hank, he was teasing me during dinner. I was reading the 'I could say the same thing about you, ya little sweetie' text and while I was reading it, I blushed and he laughed. You should talk to him about that. Oh, and I have to tell you what my mom said about you. Remember that day when you asked me to be your girlfriend and you said you'd be waiting twelve long years for this and I was stunned and asked you why you waited that long and you said because you didn't want a one-sided or an uncomfortable relationship? Well, I told her about that and when I finished she gasped and said "He said that?! Aww, what a sweetheart." That is an accurate description of you. I love you, Nicky 3' Hank was shaking his head at me as I put my phone in my lap. "Can you just stop texting him already? I know you love him but jeez", he said. I glared at him. "You've been texting Emma for quite a bit now too so I wouldn't be talking if I were you." He blushed and mom and dad burst out laughing. "It's your fault, Hank. She wouldn't be sassy if you hadn't taught her that", dad said. Hank buried his face in his hands and groaned. "Yes, I know. I'm starting to regret it now." I shook my head. "There's a lot of things that you regret, Hank, but I'm sure becoming captain isn't one of them." His eyes wandered to the Cup which was in front of him and he smiled. "Yes, that I do not regret, Sarah. I'm proud of the fact that we won it. This team fought hard-our young guys did great! So proud of them." I smiled and stretched my hand out for a high-five, which he gave me. "This team will always be remembered-one of the hardest working teams this city ever watched. So damn proud of my boys." Before any of them could reply, my phone went off. 'Tell Hank to stop messing with my girl or he's gonna get it! I wish I was there, too, holding you as you rested your head back against my chest. I know you haven't been gone that long but I miss you a lot. And I blushed when I read what your mom said about me: tell her I said thank you. I love you too, Sarah baby! XOXOXOXOXO 3' I chuckled as I read his text; not only was he sweet and cute, but he was also funny. –Ah, I love him. It's impossible not to-I thought. "Hank, Nicky said to leave me alone or you're going to get it." Hank smirked and shrugged. "Sure. What's he going to do, Kronwall me?" I gave him a look and a shake of the head before I turned to mom. "He blushed when he read your comment, mom. He said to tell you thank you." Mom smiled and dad wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her. "Tell him I said you're welcome and that he needs to stop blushing", she said jokingly. I nodded and turned my attention to writing out my text. 'I miss resting my head back against your chest. I hope we can do that soon! When I told Hank that you said to stop messing with me, he said "What's he going to do, Kronwall me?" He's a little brat. I also told my mom what you said about blushing when you heard what she said about you. She said to tell you you're welcome and that you need to stop blushing. She was joking on that last part though. And guess what? I love you, too. XOXOXOXO!' I sent the text and slipped the phone into my pocket before turning my attention to my parents. They told me about their latest golfing trip, which mom won but only because dad had missed his shot for birdie. "He was not a happy camper. He was stomping back and forth saying "Damn, Damn" the whole time. It was hilarious because dad doesn't swear that often." Hank was smiling and I was holding my breath to stop the laughter. "Wow, dad. What happened?! You never swear", Hank said. Dad shrugged. "Just let the golf game get the best of me, I guess." I smirked and looked over at Hank. "Sounds like Hank when I beat him in Smash Brothers", I said, causing him to shove my shoulder. "I don't do that!" I snorted. "Yes, you do. You act like a child who doesn't get the toy that they want on their birthday." It was good to be home!


	8. A New Guest

About two weeks later I was the basement talking with Nik on the phone. "SARAH! I miss you." I couldn't help but smile at the bit of whininess in his voice-it was cute! "I miss you too, Nicky baby. I wish you were here." "I do too, beautiful. So do you have any interesting dad stories to tell me?!" I smirked. "Oh, I do indeed. Mom was telling us about the last time they went golfing; she beat dad only because dad missed his shot for birdie. She said he was stomping back and forth and saying 'Damn, Damn' the whole time." I swore I could hear Nik smiling on the other end. "Wow, that doesn't sound like your dad at all! He never swears." "I said the same thing! Dad says he let the golf game get the best of him. I smirked and said that it sounds like Hank when I beat him in Smash Bros." Nik burst out laughing on the other end. "That's so true! Hank always whines when you beat him." I smiled. I had missed the sound of his laugh and him making fun of Hank. "I know right?! He always does it! He denied it, of course, but we all know it's true." "Of course he denied it. Hank denies everything. He's like Staf in that sense." I smiled and brushed the hair back from my face. "Staf does that too?! I never knew that! Could they be like the same person?" Nik laughed again: oh, how I loved that laugh. It made me smile everytime I heard it. "They could be! Hank is little more mature than Staf is. "Hey, I heard that!" Oops, I guess Staf heard me say that! oh well, he knows it's true." I burst out laughing when Staf-in reply to the 'oh well, he knows it's true' comment-said "I'm sure how Sarah puts up with you sometimes." -The siblings battles will never end- I thought. "STAAAFFF! I put up with Nicky because I love him. I wouldn't have it any other way." I'm not kidding, I swore that I could see him blushing on the other end of the phone. "You are such a sweetheart, you know that?! I wouldn't want to be with anyone else besides you either. Take care of yourself and I love you. Bye, beautiful!" "Bye, babe!" I hung up and shook my head with a smile. Nik was one of my favorite people in the world-he was funny and sweet. I was busted out of my thoughts when I heard the doorbell ring. I raced up the steps to answer it. Imagine my surprise to see Goose standing on our porch, his bag at his feet and his eyes red. "Goose?! What happened", I asked, my eyes widening. He bit down on his lip hard and I touched my hand to his arm. "Goose, what happened sweetie?" "It's Amanda. She just broke up with me. We were at her parents' house and I started talking about you. Amanda-for who knows what reason-immediately started saying that I was cheating on her. I denied it and she said something like "Yeah, right. You spend more time with her than you do with me." I couldn't even say a word before her parents kicked me out. I feel so heartbroken right now." He started to cry and I pulled him into a hug, his tears wetting my shirt. I felt heartbroken for him and enraged at the way Amanda and her parents had treated him. It was sickening: I knew that Goose would never do that. He loved Amanda too much; I could see it in the way his eyes seemed to light up when he talked about her or the way he blushed and gave her a loving look when she complemented him. "Poor Goose! Come on, sweetie, let's get you something to drink and I'm here if you need to talk." He picked up his bag and followed me into the kitchen. I got him a beer and sat on the "bar stool" next to him, gently rubbing his back with my hand. "I couldn't believe it! It was just too hard for me to comprehend. I love her-I wouldn't do something that hurtful to someone." I reached out to cover his hand with mine, giving him a sympathetic look as I did so. "I know you wouldn't, Goose. Amanda is just a total idiot right now." "Sarah, where are you", Hank yelled. "In the kitchen with Goose!" Hank, mom, and dad came into the kitchen and their eyes grew wide with shock when they saw Goose. "Goose?! What are you doing here, bud?" Goose's eyes filled with tears and he swallowed hard before telling them the same story he'd told me. Mom and dad were shocked and Hank looked angry. "Are you kidding me right now?! She should know that you'd never cheat on her! And to cheat on her with Sarah? That's ridiculous, Sarah has a boyfriend! Your damn teammate, no less! She knows as well as we do that if something like that were to happen, there'd be big trouble." "I know. I tried saying that but they just wouldn't hear of it. My heart just hurts so bad right now." He sounded so sad; I felt my heart breaking in two. It was hard hearing him talk like that-it wasn't like him. Mom said something to him but he didn't respond. I tugged on his hand. "Goose, sweetie, are you hungry?" He looked up at me and nodded. "Sarah, do you want us to order pizza? I don't feel like cooking tonight", mom asked. I nodded. "Yes, momma. Order pizza." She and dad walked off towards the bedroom and Hank took a seat on the other side of Goose. "Had she been accusing you for long", Hank asked. Goose wiped at his eyes and I gave his hand a squeeze. "No. She was acting weird but I just thought she was tired. She told me she hadn't been sleeping well lately." "Do you think she was acting? People can do silly things when they're tired." Goose shook his head. "No, she wasn't acting. I could tell by her face how serious she was. Besides, her parents didn't give me a chance to speak; they just kicked me right out." I shook my head, my hand still on his back. "Poor Goose. I'm sure she'll either get over it or you'll find another girlfriend soon enough." He bit on his lip hard. "I hope so."

It was a few hours later, when everyone else was in bed and I was watching The Carol Burnett Show, there was a knock at the door. Sighing, I paused it and went to answer it. Surprise and anger flickered across my face when I saw Amanda standing there. "What do you want", I asked, placing my hands on my hips. She raised an eyebrow at me. "I just came to tell you what a horrible person you are, making Gus cheat on me with you." I snorted and took a step towards her. "Look, sweetheart, Goose did not and would not cheat on you. He especially wouldn't cheat on you with me. I could give you several reasons: one) I have a boyfriend, two) he loves you too much, and three) he's like my little brother. So either get out of my parents driveway or I will make you get off. I don't have time for people who accuse others of cheating without actual evidence." She frowned and reached for me, but I shoved her hand aside. "He spends more time with you than he does with me! That proves he's cheating on me!" I shook my head, narrowing my eyes at her. "Did you not hear what I just said?! HE IS LIKE MY LITTLE BROTHER! HE WOULD NOT CHEAT ON YOU! Besides, he spends time with lots of people. Spending time with me does not mean that he is cheating on you. Now get off of my parents property or I will call the police." Scowling, she turned and stomped back down the driveway, causing me to smirk as I closed the door behind her. "Put her in her place", I muttered to myself. "Sarah?" I turned to see Goose standing behind me, looking at me with sad blue eyes. "I thought I could hear her voice from downstairs. Was she rude to you?" I reached out to gently touch his arm. "No, Goose. She wasn't rude. And don't worry, she doesn't know you're here." His lower lip trembled and tears filled his eyes. I pulled him into another hug and rubbed his back as he started crying again. "Sorry, Sarah. I'm being a baby." I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. "Goose, sweetheart, you're not being a baby. I'd feel the same way if Nicky accused me of cheating. Don't worry about it." He nodded and, grabbing his hand, I led him into the family room. "Do you want to watch this with me, Goose? It's really funny." "Yes, I'll watch it." I smiled and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. "Good boy. Now I'll go make some more popcorn. I know how much you love popcorn", I said, giving him a wink as I walked back into the kitchen. He followed me and leaned on the counter as I popped the corn. "Thank you, Sarah. I appreciate you doing this." I smiled as he covered my hand with his and squeezed it. "Goose, you're like my little brother. Of course I'd help you out." Smiling, he helped me carry the popcorn back into the family room and for the rest of the night, we laughed, talked, and tossed popcorn at each other. It was definatly like having a little brother in the house: that was for sure!


	9. reunited

"NICKY", I squealed, throwing myself into Nik's arms three days later. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and buried his face in my neck. "Hi, beautiful! I missed you", he muttered. "I missed you too, Nicky baby. It hasn't been the same without you here! I haven't had you around to tease Hank." He raised his head and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Well, I'm back now, Sarah. I will tease Hank as much as you want me to." "Yes, please. He's just been teasing me non-stop the whole time we've been here", I said, pouting. Nik shook his head and cupped my cheek as he pressed another kiss to my lips. "He'd better stop making fun of my girl or he's gonna get it", he said. "Your girl, huh? You really love her, don't you", said a voice from behind me. Nik and I turned around to see Hank standing there, his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips. Nik pulled me close to him and let me rest his head on his chest. "Of course I do, Hank! I loved her for twelve years before I asked her to be my girlfriend!" Hank smiled. "I know that. Do you remember the day you first met?!" Nik and I exchanged glances. "I remember it like it was yesterday."

_I turned away to face the lockers, clutching my math papers to my chest. "No! I'm not giving you my math stuff. Do your own homework", I said. The boy-Zach- reached for them again, sneering. "Give them to me! I don't have time to do my own homework." I smacked his hand away, shaking now. "Too bad! I'm not letting you cheat off my homework." He narrowed his eyes at me but I didn't back down. "Give it now! I need it." I snorted. "Yeah, right. You need it because you're too lazy to do it on your own and you have to try and force people to give up their homework so you can cheat on it." He snarled and, grabbing my arm, shoved me up against the locker. His eyes were narrowed into slits and his mouth was turned up into a sneer. He lowered his head until his face was inches from mine. "Give it to me RIGHT NOW!" Before I could say a word, he was shoved off of me. I looked up to see one of the new kids- Niklas Kronwall, I think his name was. "Leave her alone", he snapped. Zach looked at him, surprised. "What did you say?!" Niklas took a step closer to him, a smirk playing along his lips and his eyes narrowed. "I said leave her alone! I can't stand jerks like you, picking on people and trying to be a cheater. Leave her alone or I will tell the teachers on you!" Zach backed away slowly, holding up his hands as he did so. "Okay, okay. I'll leave her alone." Niklas took a couple of steps towards me, keeping his eyes on Zach. "Good. Now go." Zach turned and ran back down the hallway. Niklas smiled and held out his hand to me. "Hi. I'm Niklas. And your name is", he asked as he helped me up. I smiled. "Sarah Zetterberg. You play against my brother, Henrik." He laughed and tugged on my hand. "Yes, I know your brother well. Does he go here?" I pointed towards the end of the hallway where Hank was leaning on one of the lockers, holding his stick. "He's right there in the dark blue sweatshirt, leaning against the lockers with his stick in his hand. Come on, I'll introduce you." As it turned out, I didn't need to. Hank came running up to me and pulled me into a hug. "Are you okay?! I tried getting there sooner, but there were just too many people." I nodded. "Yes, Hank, I'm fine. He was just trying to steal my math homework so he could cheat off of it. Niklas saved me though so the kid couldn't do too much damage." Hank frowned. "Niklas?!" I reached out to gently touch Niklas's arm, leading him out from behind me. "Sure! Niklas Kronwall, he's one of our new guys. He plays against you." Hank looked him up and down, a smile appearing on his lips. "Ah, yes. I know you quite well. Hard-hitting defenseman, aren't you?" "Yes, I am. I've played against you a number of times." Hank smirked and reached out to grip his upper arm. "Come along, then. I want to know about the person who saved my sister", he said, causing a blush to appear over Niklas's cheeks. I shook my head and smacked Hank's arm. "Quit it, Hank! You're making him blush", I scolded. Hank laughed and together (I was still glaring at him) we walked back down the hallway._

"Oh, I forgot all about Hank making me blush that day. What a meanie", Nik said, causing me to laugh and Hank to roll his eyes. "I still embarrass you sometimes, Kronner. That's just what happens in life." I leaned my head back against Nik's chest and his arms went around my waist, holding me tightly to him. "I didn't get bothered by Zach for the rest of the year. He knew Nicky was gonna tell the teachers on him and Hank would've kicked his butt if he got close to me." Nik pressed a light kiss to the top of my head. "Taught that little brat to keep his hands to himself. Trying to cheat off of someone's math homework-what an idiot." Hank grinned and I turned around in Nik's arms to kiss him. "I agree with you, buddy. Lazy little brats who then try and steal people's homework just so they could get a good grade." I shook my head. "It was bad, but without that I wouldn't have Nicky. Some good came out of that." "Some good", Nik asked right in my ear, causing a shiver to run up my spine. He always had this affect on me! I turned and looked right into those blue eyes-eyes that always sent tingles running down my spine. "Let me rephrase that. Something amazing came out of that incident and that something was you." A blush came over his cheeks but he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. "I got something out of that event to. I got you and Hank. Hank's a mentor and an older brother to me. He's helped me a lot-just like Nick has. Then, of course, I got you." I flushed but buried my face in his chest as he dropped a kiss on top of my head. "I love you, my sweet, beautiful girl." I lifted my head from his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck, staring into his eyes as that adorable little grin spread across his face. "I love you too, cutie." "Aww, that's precious." A blush appeared over both of our cheeks and we turned to see mom and daddy standing next to Hank. "Hello, mom", Nik said. Mom shook her head, looking amused. I remember the day she'd insisted on Nik calling her 'mom'. Everytime I thought about it, it made me laugh. It had been weird at first, but eventually we'd gotten used to it. "Hi, Nicky. How are you?" "Better now that I'm here with my girl", he said, smiling down at me. I rolled my eyes and hit him in the chest, but I was smiling too. Mom and dad laughed. "I said it; I said eventually you two would get together. And I was right, as usual", dad said, causing Nik, Hank and I to burst out laughing and mom to give him a look. "Quit being smart", she scolded. "I like being smart."

A little later, Nicky, Hank and I were watching our favorite video "Pop Culture Minute: What can't YOU live without." ( watch?v=ld407oDTiPY)* I always laughed at this because of the "oatmeal argument" these two had. I'd watched this so many times that I'd memorized the whole video, but it was still fun to watch. "Oat-meal", I said under my breath, causing Nicky to smack my arm and Hank to burst out laughing. I loved mocking Nicky in the way that he says oatmeal in the video. Not only was it funny, but it was cute. "How many times have you watched this video now", Hank asked. I smirked. "More than I can count, but I loved watching you guys argue. It's really funny." Nicky shook his head at me. "I don't understand you." I shrugged. "That's fine. It just means I make your life a little more interesting", I replied with a wink. He huffed at me. "Mean." I laid my hand on his arm and looked up at him. "I love you." He smiled and lowered his head to kiss me. "I love you too, babe."


	10. Only In America

"AAABBBYYYY", I yelled, sprinting towards Justin and throwing myself into his arms. Nicky, Hank, Goose and I were coming back to the states for 4th of July weekend. I was excited to see my friends again; we were going up north to Lake Michigan to watch fireworks on the 4th of July. Justin caught me and spun me around before placing me back on the ground. "Hi, Sarah! It's great to see you again." I grinned up at him. "Good to see you too, Abby. Ready for a nice long weekend?!" "Always." "Good! Now where's…" I got cut off when I was hugged from behind and someone whispered "Sarah!" into my ear. "Val, you idiot", I said, laughing as I turned to look at him. He smirked. "I thought Kronner was the idiot." I shook my head at him. "Both of you are idiots, but…" I glanced over at Nicky and winked at him "Nicky's my idiot." Nicky smiled over at me and mouthed "I love you." I smirked and turned my attention to getting my bag from Hank, who insisted upon holding the bag out of my reach. "HAAANKKK! Give me my bag", I whined. He shook his head. "I can't. It's my job to keep the bag from out of your reach." I crossed my arms at him and narrowed my eyes. "Just give me the stupid bag, Hank." "Nope." I rolled my eyes and turned to see, much to my satisfaction, Justin, Val, Nicky and Goose giving him mock glares. I smirked. "Hank, I'd look behind you if I were you." Hank turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "You'd better behave, Hank, if you want to go up North with us", Val scolded. "Just give her the bag", Justin added. I bit my lip to hide the smile of satisfaction as Hank handed me my bag. "I hate you right now", he muttered. I smiled and went to Nicky's side, cuddling into his shirt as he wrapped his arms around me. "That's okay, Hank. I've got Nicky and three other friends that love me." I turned around and started walking towards the exit. "You're a brat, you know that?!" I chuckled. "That's why you LOOVVEE me", I sang back, causing Hank to moan and Nicky, Val, Goose and Justin to howl with laughter. –I love these guys so much-I thought.  
My train of thought was interrupted when a hard hand landed on my shoulder. "Going somewhere", a familiar voice asked. I shoved his hand off me and glared at him. "I believe that is none of your business." Cal backed off a bit at the hard tone in my voice. "You need to chill out, seriously. All I want is a date." I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? You're asking me to go on a date with you when my boyfriend, my brother and their teammates are standing not ten feet away from me? Wow, real smart idea Calvin." He reached for my hand but I backed out of his reach. "You know why I'm asking you to go out on a date? I still love-"Yeah, yeah, enough of the excuses, Calvin. You're not in my life anymore and I'd appreciate it if it was kept that way. Look, I have a boyfriend. I'm happier than I ever was with you. Now back off." His eyes narrowed at me but I wasn't backing down. "You are one smart-mouth little girl, aren't you? I don't care if you have a boyfriend, you're gonna be mine again." I shook my head and shoved him hard, as seeing he'd gotten a little too close for my liking. "I have a choice to come back to you, Calvin and my answer is no. Why do you want me back?! So you can beat me and break my heart again like last time? Not gonna happen, mister." He reached for me again but before he could get a grip, Nicky knocked him to the floor of the airport. "Listen, Calvin, you stay away from my girl. Like it or not, she is my girlfriend and she's a heck of a lot happier than she was with you. Get a grip and move on, Calvin." He stood up, picked up Calvin and shoved him away from us. "Leave her alone." Calvin started towards me, but he stopped and blushed when he saw the glares of Val, Justin, Hank, Nicky and Goose. "You wanna try that again, punk", Hank asked in a near growl. "I'll try anything to get her back", Calvin snapped back. Hank smirked and glanced over at Justin with a raised eyebrow. Justin started towards him as Nicky pulled me into his arms and let me rest his head on his chest. "You sure don't want to mess with her, punk, because we will kick your dirty little butt so hard you will never be able to sit down again." Calvin slowly backed off and, under the hard looks we were giving him, ran off. I breathed a sigh of relief and Nicky pressed a kiss to my cheek. "You okay, baby", he asked in my ear, causing me to smile. "I'm fine, Nicky. Better now than he's gone." "He didn't hurt you, did he", Goose asked. I turned in Nicky's arms to look at Goose's concerned face. "No, Goose. He didn't hurt me. Not even close. Trust me, you would've known if he'd hurt me." He raised an eyebrow. "How?!" "I would either be screaming or crying. And since I'm doing neither, you can assume I'm not hurt." Val and Hank rolled their eyes, Goose and Justin shook their heads, and I could feel Nicky laughing behind me. "Smart-mouth comments, stubborn, funny and a pretty face? What can't you do, baby girl", Nicky asked. I turned to look into his eyes, smiling. "Guess you'll have to figure that out yourself, won't you?"  
"I don't think I've seen a sunset more beautiful than that one", I told Nicky a few days later. It was the fourth of July and Nicky, Hank, Val, Justin, Goose, Emma and I were up on Lake Michigan to see the fireworks. Fireworks were one of my favorite things-whether it was watching them live, seeing them on TV, or seeing pictures of them-I always thought they were beautiful and cool. Nicky's arm snaked around my waist and he pressed a kiss on the top of my head. "It's beautiful, just like you", he replied. I blushed but turned to meet his eyes. "You and your damn sweet comments", I told him. He chuckled and lowered his head to press a kiss to my lips, causing my heart to "tremble". "Anything for you, baby", he said. I shook my head and glanced back up at the sunset, which was sparkling across the water. My thoughts channeled to my boyfriend, making me smile. He was the sweetest thing, always willing to listen and easy to talk to. "With you, the words just come so easy", I'd once told him. He had a million different ways of making me laugh; he was always able to get me out of a bad mood. If I was having a crappy day or got into a mood, he'd always hug me and tell me things would get better. It was rare that he snapped at me and when he did, he'd apologize right away. The thing that made me love him the most was that he was so humble. He blushed whenever anyone praised him* (Hank and I sometimes made fun of him for that) and, I didn't like it, but he'd always blame himself for a hit that was made on him which caused him to get hurt*. A tap on my shoulder broke me from my thoughts. I looked up to see Niklas pointing to our right. I followed his finger and burst out laughing when I saw Val, Justin and Goose wrestling with each other. I saw this a lot whenever I watched them practice and it made me laugh everytime. "They are such idiots", I said. "Yes, they are, but you gotta love them." I opened my mouth to reply but Hank, who had suddenly appeared next to us, said "The fireworks are starting." Nicky and I looked up and sure enough, the bright colorful fireworks started appearing in the sky. Then, from someone's phone (I think it was Val's) came the song Firework by Katy Perry. This was my song and it was perfect for such an occasion. I rested my head on Nicky's chest, softly singing along with the song as I watched the beautiful display of colors sparkle across the heavens. "Baby, you're a firework! Come on let your colors burst. Make 'em go oh-oh-oh as you shoot across the sky-i-ie." I felt Nicky laughing behind me and turned to look at him. "What's so funny?!" "Nothing! It's just this night is so perfect. Being here with our friends, watching fireworks, hearing you sing, and…" He paused for a minute to give me that soft, loving, beautiful smile, making my heart melt, "being here with you. All of this summed up into a night I'll never forget." "Quit being so cute and smart", I scolded, pressing my hand into his chest as I kissed him. He laughed and pulled away, staring me right in the eyes. "Okay, okay. I'll stop. Forgive me?" I wrapped my arms around his neck as he placed his hands on my hips. "I always forgive you, sweetheart. I love you." He pressed a quick kiss to my lips and when he pulled away, the sparkle was back in his eyes. "I love you too, babe."


	11. Fearless

I was laughing at Nicky as he tugged on my hand. "Babe, pulling me isn't going to get us up to your parents' house faster. Just calm down", I told him. He turned to look at me, that smile that I loved back on his face and blue eyes shining. "I'm sorry! It's just been a while since you've seen them." I walked up to him and placed a hand up on his shoulder, the other hand brushing the hair from his face. "I'm not mad at you! I just don't think you'd like having a one-armed girlfriend." He chuckled and pressed a kiss to my lips. "How true that is! You can't make me food if you only had one arm." I shook my head at him. "You're crazy, you know that?!" "Crazy about you", he replied, causing me to laugh. "Aren't you cute", I said. He blushed and turned his head away from me. "Thank you", he said. I placed my hand on his cheek and turned his head back towards me, gazing right up into his blue eyes. "I didn't mean to embarrass you! It was just what you said made me smile." "I always make you smile, don't I?" "What do you think, Nicky", I asked, tilting my head at him. He laughed and lowered his head, placing his hands on my hips as he did so. "I'm taking that as a yes." I smirked and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. "That is a yes", I muttered, lowering my head. I felt a gentle hand behind placed under my chin and my head was pushed up. I found myself looking into those beautiful blue eyes-eyes that were deep and full of love. "I'm so glad I make you smile, Sara, cause you know what? You make me smile too, baby." I turned my head away from him, a blush appearing over my cheeks as my heart melted. "NOW look who's embarrassed", Nicky teased. "Shut up", I said. He chuckled. "Oh, come on! Don't be mad." "I'm not mad", I replied, still not looking at him. He reached for my arm and I nudged it away and turned back to look at him, grinning. "Someone's getting feisty", he said. "And you find that a problem", I asked with a cheeky grin. He rolled his eyes. "You are so immature." I snorted. "Says the person who was making fun of me about being embarrassed." He glared at me. "Where did you get to be so smart?!" "As if I'd tell you", I said, sticking my tongue out at him. "Are you two flirting with each other?! Aww, that's adorable." Nicky and I blushed but I turned with a smile to see Nicky's mom smiling at us. "Hi, Mrs. Kronwall." "Hi, Sara sweetie. Would you mind calling me mom? You've known me for long enough that you don't need to call me that anymore." I grinned and Nicky, who'd wrapped his arms around my waist, laughed. "Sure, mom. I can do that." "Thanks! Now come on, Staf and Ally want to see you." My eyes lit up as Nicky and I followed Katlyn (mom) up to the house. "Ally Oop? Staf's girlfriend?! It's been forever since I've seen her."

Staf was the first to see us-he always was whenever I came over. "My favorite sister", I yelled, running up to me and spinning me around. I laughed as he placed me back down. "I'm your only sister, you goofball", I reminded him. "Yeah, but you're still my favorite." I grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Aren't you sweet? Now where's Ally Oop?" "At the table." I grabbed Nicky's hand and he gave it a squeeze as Staf led us over to where Ally was sitting. She looked up and smiled when she saw us. "Finally! I thought Nicky was hiding us from you." I snorted. "He'd hide me all the time if he could, but I influenced him to take me to see you guys." Staf raised an eyebrow at me. "How do you influence him?! I'm his own brother and I can't do it." "You have to have charm and wait until the right time to strike." Nicky wrapped his arms around me and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. "And you have to be pretty like she is." I blushed again and elbowed him in the stomach. "There you go again with your cute little comments", I said. "What can I say? That's part of my charm and no one can resist my charm… especially you." "MOOOM! Nicky's making fun of me", I whined, giving my boyfriend a mischievous grin. Katlyn came into the kitchen and gave Nicky a mock glare out of the corner of her eye. "Leave your girlfriend alone, Nicky. Doesn't the poor girl get teased enough by her brother as it is?" Staf and Ally were covering their mouths to hold back the laughter at Nicky's bright red face and the glare he was giving me out of the corner of his eyes. "I hate you right now." My jaw dropped and I placed my hand over my heart, pretending to be hurt. "You hate me?! Oh, you're breaking my heart!" Ally gasped and Staf's eyes widened. "Nicky! Stop breaking the poor girl's heart", Ally scolded. Nicky blushed and I walked up to him, snaking my arms around his neck. "I'm messing with you, sweetheart. You know you wouldn't break my heart. Steal my heart? Yes. Break my heart? No, unless we were to break up." He placed his hands on my hips and rested his forehead against mine, making my heart beat hard in my chest at the sparkle and love in those blue eyes. "Of course I wouldn't break your heart, Sara. I'd protect you against all those other jerks who've broken your heart in the past. I waited twelve long years for this and I'm sure as hell not going to mess it up now." "I know you wouldn't, babe. That's why I love you." "Mm, I love you too", he said. "Gosh, really?! Can't you guys save the cutesy stuff for later", Staf asked. I turned to glare at him. "No. You and Ally have done it in front of us, so we're doing it in front of you", I said. He stuck his tongue out at me and I rolled my eyes. "Oh, you are real mature, Staf. Sticking your tongue out at a girl?! Yeah, cause grown men actually do that." Ally and Nicky were biting their lips to keep from laughing and Katlyn was in the kitchen, shaking her head. "Alright, Staf, leave her alone. Quit teasing her." Staf pouted and I just laughed. Ally shook her head and pulled me into a hug. "He's just being a baby. He'll get over it." "I hope so." "Tell me everything." I frowned at her. "What do you mean 'tell me everything'?!" "How did you and Nicky start dating?" Nicky pulled me into his arms and I grinned. "Oh, now that is a story worth telling." I told her about Nicky and I going to the rink, the trip, the flirting, the kiss, how he'd asked me to be his girlfriend, and how and why he'd waited so long to ask me. A gasp escaped from her lips and she placed her hand over her heart when I finished. "Oh man, I'm almost speechless! I cannot imagine what it was like as he got closer and closer to you." I smirked and glanced up at Nicky for a quick second before I turned back to Ally. "I was getting tingles up my spine and my heart was trembling as he got closer to me. Hell, my heart still trembles when he gets close." "My heart does the same thing with Staf. But Nicky's probably the only person I know who'd wait twelve years to tell the person he loves how he feels about them. That is so damn sweet." "Isn't it?! My heart melted when he told me." "I'm sure it did. Hearts tend to do that when you love someone. But, Nicky, tripping her?! Really?" Nicky laughed and squeezed me tightly to him. "I had to get her attention somehow! Besides, she kept taking the puck away from me." Ally laughed but before she could say a thing, Katlyn yelled, "Anyone hungry?" "Starving", we all yelled back. "Come and get dinner then! There's mashed potatoes, fried chicken, and corn."

During dinner, I ended up retelling the "ice rink story" to Katlyn. "That has got to be the cutest thing I've heard in a long time! Waiting that long to tell her because you didn't want her to be uncomfortable?! That's so sweet!" Nicky was blushing bright red under the praise he was getting from his mom and I gave his hand a slight squeeze. "I didn't mean to embarrass you! I just thought mom would want to know", I said in a whisper. He squeezed my hand back and gave me a smile. "It's fine, sweetie. I'm not mad at you for telling her." I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my attention back to my plate. Katlyn was rambling still rambling on about the "ice rink story" and I could see that Nicky was looking more and more uncomfortable. "Mom, can we move onto something else? Nicky's getting uncomfortable", I said. Katlyn stopped and looked at Nicky, whose face was really bright red. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry sweetie! I get rambling about something and I can't stop. Don't let me do that again if it's embarrassing you." "Okay, mom." There was a silence for a minute before Ally leaned across the table and asked "How was seeing your parents, Sara?" My eyes lit up: here was something I could talk about. "Oh, it was great. You should have seen my parents' faces when they saw Hank with the cup: they looked so proud!" "I'm sure they did! Parents are always proud of their kids when they achieve something great. Who has it now?" I rattled off the names in my head. Hank had it first, then Nicky, then Abby, Goose… did Val have it now? Yes, it was Val. "Val has it now." "Is he in Finland?" "I talked to him this morning. He said the cup was coming in this afternoon. Yeah, he's in Finland." Nicky shook his head at me. "Are you like a book of information? Jeez, Sara." I smirked at him. "You get what you asked for, right?" He laughed. "Yeah, right."

"STTAAFF, quit trying to steal my slice of cake. You had one already", I scolded, hitting the back of his hand with my fork. He pouted at me. "Oh, come on! I stole some of Ally's, why can't I steal yours", he whined. I glared at him. "Because she's your girlfriend and I'm your sister. Now go steal some more of hers or get one of your own." I felt a tap on my hand and turned to see Nicky's blue eyes boring into mine. "Do you think I could…?" I grinned. "You don't even have to ask, babe", I answered, sliding the plate over to him, "Have at it." He brushed his thumb across the back of my hand and smiled at me. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you", he asked. I smirked. "You probably have, but tell me again." He laughed. "Oh, you're a sneak! Okay fine, I love you all the way to the moon and back." "And that's very far." Staf and Ally raised their eyebrows at us, but I grinned and stuck my tongue out at them. "Pay us no mind." They rolled their eyes but did as they were told. "Explain to me how you did that", Nicky said into my ear. I grinned and turned my head back towards him. "You have to wait until the right time to strike. Sometimes you have to wait a little bit after they finish talking; sometimes you have to go at them right away." He nodded and pressed a kiss to my lips. "I love you." "I love you too, babe."


	12. Expect the Unexpected

It was a few nights later that we-Nicky, Staffan, Katlyn, Hank (he'd come from our parents' house) and I-were out at dinner. Going out to dinner was Nicky's family was definatly an interesting experience. He was constantly making fun of Staffan and Staffan was constantly making fun of him. It kept Hank and I amused-it reminds us of the way we treated each other. "Did I tell you that you looked exceptionally beautiful tonight", Nicky asked, causing a blush to appear over my cheeks. I was wearing my favorite white knee-length flowered dress with my cowboy boots, my diamond earrings and my hair hanging in curls around my face. "No, you haven't. But thank you for the complement." He pressed a kiss to my cheek and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Anytime, my beautiful girl", he replied, causing me to smile. He could always make me smile no matter what-and that was just one of the many things I love about him. What happened next made me shocked… and it completely changed my life. Nicky slipped his hand from mine, got down on one knee, pulled a box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. I gasped and placed my hand over my heart, staring right into those blue eyes-eyes full of love and devotion. "Sara… the time we've had so far has been amazing. You've been the perfect best friend and girlfriend. But I want something more than that. I want to rest of my life with you. I want to wake up to see your pretty smile, to hear your laugh, to see our kids, to see **_us. _**I want to see you and me forever. So, Sara, will you marry me?" Tears filled my eyes and I covered my mouth with my hand. To hear him say "Will you marry me" was a dream come true. "Y-yes. Yes, Nicky I will marry you", I said in a choked up voice. He slid the ring on my finger, stood up, and pulled me up so I was looking directly at him. We stared into each other's eyes for a long minute, mine full of tears and his full of love, before he lowered his head to kiss me on the lips. I felt a tingle run down my spine as his lips connected with mine. It was **_always _**like this when we kissed-I always got tingles in my spine. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that", I said. He placed a gentle hand under my chin and pushed my head up so I was looking directly into his eyes. "You don't know I've wanted to ask you that." I grinned. "Oh, I think I can. Twelve years, right?!" He laughed and pressed another kiss to my lips. "Yes, baby. Twelve years." "How did you know that", Hank asked. I slipped one hand up onto Nicky's shoulder and turned to grin at my brother. "He's my fiancé. I know everything about him."

Staf leaned across the table, a cheeky grin on his face. "What do you know about him?!" I rolled my eyes as Nicky gave him a look out of the corner of his eye. "As if I'd tell you, you sneak", I replied, sticking my tongue out at him. Hank and Katlyn burst out laughing and Nicky grinned. "You want some ointment, little brother? That burn sounded like it hurt." I howled with laughter at Staf's facial expression and Hank and Katlyn bit their lips to keep from smiling. "Ouch! Jeez, big brother, I would think you'd have a little bit more respect for your younger brother. I thought…" "STAAAFFF! Quit ruining Nicky and I's night. He proposed to me after twelve years! That's pretty damn special", I interrupted. Hank got up and pulled me into a hug. "You're right, Sara. That is special. Congrats to both of you", he said. I hugged him back tightly, the smile not leaving my face. "You get the little brother you never had, Hank. But I'm warning you (I pulled away and gave him a look) don't tease him too much." Hank glanced over my head at Nicky and I saw him smile. "I won't, Sara. Not tonight at least. Not when he finally worked up the courage to propose to you." Nicky blushed. "I was waiting for the right moment. It's not easy planning a proposal." Hank grinned. "Been there, done that. I know how hard it is."

Katlyn went over to Nicky and hugged him. "Since that day you first brought her to my house, I knew you guys were going to get together." My eyes widened. "How did you know, mom?" She laughed and hugged me. "Some things a mother just knows, sweetheart. You'll find that out someday." I grinned. "So that's what it's like being a mother, right? Knowing things your kids don't?" Katlyn rubbed my arm, her eyes glowing. "Being a mother is the best and hardest thing you will ever experience, Sara. It's the best because you're raising someone who could change the world or change people's lives. But it's the hardest thing because of the trials and pains of watching then grow up. These two (she gestured at Nicky and Staf) have been at each other's throats before." "Why doesn't that surprise me?!" Staf hit me lightly on the shoulder from behind. "You're mean, you know that?" I rolled my eyes and elbowed him in the stomach. "Not as mean as you", I replied, turning to look at him. He huffed and shook his head at me. "I want to know how Nicky handles you, seriously." Nicky wrapped his arms around me from behind and I rested my head back against his chest. "Because I love her, Staf. No matter what happens, I will always love her." "True love", Hank muttered, causing me to smile. "Yes, Hank. True love."

I glanced over at Nicky and gave his hand a tight squeeze as we made our way up the steps to Saint Ann's. This was where I went to mass every Sunday. "You know, Nicky, Saint Ann's has a long history. It was built in 1701 by some French settlers-they actually started building it two days after they arrived. It got burned down in a fire in 1704 and it has been rebuilt three times. It was burned down in another accidental fire in 1805 but they didn't start rebuilding it until 1818. The inside is beautiful", I told him. He grinned. "Where did you learn all that?" "From Father Bill… and the internet." We opened the big double doors and Nicky's eyes widened when he saw the inside. "Wow, babe, this place is really nice. Those stain glass windows are beautiful." Just then, Father Bill came in. "Hello, Father." He smiled. "Hello, Sara my dear. How are you?" "I'm fine, Father. I have some big news for you: I'm getting married." His eyes widened. "Married?! Congratulations, my dear! Who is the lucky man?" I grabbed Nicky's arm and pulled him next to me. "This is my fiancé, Niklas Kronwall." "The hockey player? Congratulations, sir. You are a very lucky man." Nicky laughed and shook Father Bill's hand. "Thank you, Father. I'd been waiting twelve years to propose to her and I finally worked up the courage to ask her." "Father, do you think we could show Nicky around the church? You could talk about the stain glass windows that you love so much." "It would be a pleasure. Right this way."

We followed Father Bill to the front of the church where he pointed to one of the stain glass windows. "That is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God. All Catholics are very devoted to her. She has been seen many times, mostly by children. Our Lady of Fatima-that is in France. Three children-Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta-were in the fields tending their sheep when they saw a bright light in the sky. They thought it was lightning, but it was actually the Blessed Virgin. She appeared to them many times and the 13th of October, she performed a miracle in front of the entire village. Our Lady of Lourdes-that is also in France. 15-year-old Bernadette was gathering wood for her family when she saw a bright light coming from a cave nearby. It was the Blessed Virgin and they prayed the rosary together. Our Lady appeared many times to Bernadette and performed several miracles. Once, she told Bernadette to drink from the spring. Bernadette went to the spring nearby, but that was not the spring Our Lady was referring to. Bernadette dug right where the Blessed Virgin told her to and she found water. Bernadette was once questioned by the authorities and was even told by her own father never to go the Grotto again. But she kept going back to the Grotto. You know why? Because she had so much faith in Mary and in God." Nicky was quiet-I knew he was thinking. I turned to Father Bill. "Marriage works the same way, does it, Father? We have to have faith in one another and in God." Father Bill directed us to the front pew, where all three of us sat. "Sara, why do you think I picked those stories to tell you? What about them made me tell you?" I thought for a minute. "People didn't believe them. People ridiculed them, mocked them. And yet, even through all that, they still had faith. They had faith in God and Mary. No matter what happened to them, they weren't about to give up on their faith." "Yes, Sara. (I elbowed Nicky in the side to get him to pay attention-what Father was telling us was very important.) Marriage is not an easy thing to do. In marriage, you will go through a lot of difficulties: arguments with each other, paying the bills, and having kids. You guys are making a choice to spend the rest of your lives together. You have to be prepared for hardships to come your way and when they do, you can't lose faith in God, in your marriage, or each other. In the marriage classes you guys will be taking, there will be a lot of talk about this. I've told many couples this over the years, but this is the biggest choice of your life. Be prepared for everything." Nicky and I were both quiet for several minutes: running the words Father had said through our minds. On our wedding day, we were probably going to hear the same homily but that didn't matter: it was important for us to hear it. "Father, would you be willing to marry us? To make Nicky and I husband and wife?" Father Bill smiled. "Sara, I would be honored. Celebrating weddings is always an honor." I hugged him and Nicky shook his hand. We stood up and got ready to leave when Nicky asked "Father, why is celebrating weddings always an honor?" Father Bill turned to look at him. "Niklas, celebrating weddings is always on honor because I'm bringing two of God's children together. Two of God's children who will have their own children. Marriage is a very beautiful thing." Niklas nodded. "Thank you, Father." "God bless both of you." We said our goodbyes, genuflected in front of the altar, said an "Our Father" and left. "Father Bill is nice, isn't he?" "He's very nice, Nicky. I'm glad he's doing our wedding ceremony." He gave me a kiss on the cheek and squeezed my hand tightly. "I love you, Sara." "I love you too, babe."


	13. Getting Married

My stomach was bouncy and my hands felt sweaty as I paced back and forth in the hallway at the back of Saint Ann's. After 10 months of planning, dress picking, our pre-marriage classes (which were wonderful, as God intended them to be), and a lot of frustration, my wedding day was finally here. I was marrying the love of my life, my best friend-you couldn't ask for anything better than that. I absolutely love my wedding dress- it's got a V-neck line, straps, sparkles all over the top, and a ball gown bottom. Picking out of dress was one of the more fun parts of the wedding planning- I must've tried on 30 dresses before I finally settled on this one. I couldn't wait for Nicky to see me in this-he's been dying to see it for months. "Dear God, I want to say thank you for this day. Thank you for letting Nicky and I's paths cross. Thank you for everything that you've given me, for you are Lord of the Universe. Amen." "Sweetheart?" I looked up to see daddy standing in front of me, his hand on my arm. "Hi, daddy", I said, wiping away the tears that were coming down my face. "Oh, my little girl. I'm so happy for you." I gave daddy a tight hug and said "Thank you for everything" into his ear. "I have been blessed to have raised you. You've turned into a strong, beautiful, sweet woman and by God's grace found a man who is going to treat you right. I'm proud to call you my daughter."

Suddenly, the organ started to play. Daddy offered me his arm and I took it (and a deep breath). The church doors opened and daddy and I walked out. All of my family and friends lined the pews and I could see mom and Katlyn dapping at their eyes. Then I saw Nicky, standing at the altar, looking handsome in his suit. –I still can't believe I'm marrying him. God, you have blessed me with him. Thank you-I thought. Daddy delivered me to Nicky and took his seat next to mom. The first part of the ceremony was a blur, but the second reading I remember well-it fit what marriage was about so perfectly. "First Corinthians 13: Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoings but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." That was one of my favorite passages in the Bible-it was one I would read and reread in the months leading up to our wedding. It was true: in marriage, we had to be patient, kind, not jealous or pompous. It was one I would also read in the coming months following our wedding. The next part of the mass that I was aware of (like I said, it went by in a blur) was Nicky and I doing our wedding vows. Nicky and I stood on the steps on the altar and faced each other. Dylan, my 10-year-old cousin, stood next to us, holding the rings. Father Bill picked up one of the rings (mine) and handed it to Niklas. "Niklas, repeat after me: I, Niklas, take you, Sara, to be my wife." _"I, Niklas, take you, Sara, to be my wife." _"to have and to hold from this day forward." _"to have and to hold from this day forward." _"for better or for worse." _"for better or for worse" _ "for richer, for poorer" _"for richer, for poorer" _"in sickness and in health" _"in sickness and in health" _"to love and to cherish" _"to love and to cherish" _"from this day forward until death do us part" _"from this day forward until death do us part" _He slipped the ring on my finger and gave my hand a hard squeeze, causing a tingle to run up my arm. Next, I took the ring I'd gotten him and said those same beautiful words. I slipped the ring on his finger and smiled up at him. "I love you", I mouthed. "I love you too", he mouthed back. "You may kiss the bride." Nicky lowered his head and kissed me on the lips. I wrapped an arm around his neck and deepened the kiss a bit as the claps rained down on us. "You look beautiful, Mrs. Kronwall", he said in a whisper. I blushed but smiled back. "And you look handsome, Mr. Kronwall."

I couldn't help but smile as I grabbed Nicky's hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor. For our dance song, we chose "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not by Thompson Square." ( watch?v=csuOYrQG6Hk) It was a song we'd heard on the radio one time and decided that it was going to be our song. I smiled up at him as the song started. Then, I became completely oblivious to everything except Nicky and the song. I was in my own world-lost in Nicky's deep blue eyes and the music as it rained down around us. "Are you gonna kiss me or not? Are we gonna do this or what? I think you know I like you a lot, but you're about to miss your shot, are you gonna kiss me or not?" Nicky and I loved singing this song, it didn't matter where we were-in the car, right here, in front of our friends, or when we were alone-this was our song. We must've listened to this song who knows how many times, but we'd never get tired of it. As the song ended, I looked right into Nicky's eyes, smiling, and asked "Are you gonna kiss me or not?" He laughed and lowered his head, meeting my lips in a deep kiss. "Does that answer your question?" I laughed. "Yes, baby. It does answer my question. I love you." "I love you too, baby girl."

Note: does this chapter need to be longer? Let me know :)


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